It’s all about Sukiyabashi Jiro, Roppongi Hills.
Day 3, Tokyo: The day we had the best sushi in the world. Tsukiji Fish Market Tuna Auction, Daiwa Sushi & Sukiyabashi Jiro (continuation)
Author note: The Sukiyabashi Jiro experience deserved a post of its own. No questions asked.
Meal: Sushi Omakase from renowned, Sukiyabashi Jiro, Roppongi Hills. Requiring a reservation booked at least 1 month in advance and only accepting reservations from locals/sophisticated hotel concierges, this place is as prestigious as they come for sushi. Located on literally, the very outskirts of Keyakizaka building within Roppongi Hills is Jiro’s youngest son, Takashi’s take on the original Sukiyabashi Jiro.
Instantly welcomed in by the hostess, she grabbed our bags and placed them in a cupboard. We were seated right at the sushi bar in front of the man himself, Takashi, greeted with a smile and a few words, the preparations begun. Many previous diners have commented that as soon as you enter a Sukiyabashi Jiro, there is somewhat an air of intimidation and hesitance. Many people understand that dining here requires respect for the food and keeping an eye on how you conduct yourself whilst inside.
Typical thoughts include: Do you pick up the nigiri with your hands or use chop sticks? How do you place the chop sticks once you’re done? Do you sit up right, can you slouch? Can you take pictures? Can you take your time eating or do you need to scoff it all as quickly as it lands in front of you ? What happens if you don’t like the taste of something, can you spit it out? How do you ask for more? Are you allowed to talk with the chef? What about with your friend? Are you allowed to talk at all? It’s so quiet in here!
Thankfully Takashi is not as strict as his father, so after the first few pieces, we felt at ease and were able to amicably comment whenever we wanted. The sous chef along with Takashi explained the origins of each piece of sushi as well as how they were prepared for the night’s dining. You’ll then begin to understand and appreciate the meticulous methods and traditions that are involved in sushi making. It’s almost as if it’s a continuous search for perfection in the way of constant refinement; it’s not a job, it’s a craft. We soon discovered that any apprentice working for any branch of Sukiyabashi Jiro is required to work as an apprentice for 10 years before they can working outside of the preparation room.
Enough talk, let’s get stuck into it!
Saba (サバ) Mackerel
What a start! We’d never tried mackerel before so it was great to try something new-especially being the first serving! I remember the flesh feeling so dense, but when chewed it easily came apart with little resistance. It tasted much like the sea, but not at all fishy, more like it was fresh and hearty.
Katsuo (カツオ) Smoked Bonito
One of the highlight sushi dishes. I would easily travel back to Japan just to taste this again. As it had been smoked, the full bodied wood/smoked flavour came through immediately as soon as we bit into the delicate flesh. I can’t seem to compare it to anything, because I haven’t tasted anything quite like it.
At this point our taste buds were in absolute delight and my friend and I couldn’t stop looking at each other with such wide eyes. Fairly certain that at only two dishes in, we already looked like gobsmacked crazed sushi- maniacs overcome with joy and happiness.
Karei (かれい) Sole Fish
Brushed with a light layer of soy sauce, this was a fresh and light piece of fish. This also happened to be the first of many nigiri for the night. Much like other reviewers had stated, the rice in the Jiro nigiri is slightly more vinegar-ey and warmer than what you’re usually used to tasting from your friendly neighbourhood nigiri.
Shin-Ika (かれい) Baby Cuttlefish
As expected with any type of specie within the Squid family, the flesh was slightly tough and resistant, but still fresh and palate cleansing. A good way to start off.
From here on out, it just kept getting better. If you’re a Pokemon fan, think of this scenario as if Tuna was a Pokemon and you were witnessing its 3 stage evolution in a quick, but incredibly and oddly tasty succession.
Akami (あかみ) Bluefin Tuna — Lean
This is the type of tuna we’re used to seeing overseas- whether it be in sushi trains or simple sushi takeaway stores. Yes, we’re accustomed to eating this type, but man was it fresh. Fresh to the point where your palate tastes nothing but the clean, distinctly mild flavour of tuna and the sea. Again, no sign of a fishy taste/aftertaste. Despite it being a lean piece, it still maintained its delicate form when eaten. Absolutely delightful and once again, out of this world. Damn it Jiro, even the textbook nigiri tastes phenomenal!
Chu-Toro ( ちゅうとろ) Bluefin Tuna — Medium Fat
Now moving into the ‘levelling up’ stages of the tuna. Chu-toro, a.k.a Medium Fatty Tuna is not as commonly found as the standard run-of-the-mill lean tuna. Some upmarket sushi restaurants will offer it as one of their nigiri selections, but it will come at market price or at some kind of premium.
It’s at this medium fatty stage where the tuna develops a creamy texture and taste. You can actually see the ‘fattiness’ in the lighter colour of the fish. We thought Daiwa Sushi couldn’t be beaten, we thought that the Chu-toro there was heaven and an absolute foodie’s dream. We were wrong. We were so horribly wrong- and naive. This Chu-Toro from Jiro’s was just sublime. The perfect balance of a creamy, velvet, melt-in-your-mouth sensation. Unfortunately any other nigiri I tasted after this dinner just felt inferior. This single medium fatty tuna nigiri turned me into a judgmental sushi snob. Damn, the best nigiri I’ve ever tasted. Simply, the stand out selection from Jiro’s and we requested to have another piece of this at the end of the Omakase.
Otoro ( お おとろ) Bluefin Tuna — Fatty Tuna
The final evolution. Otoro could be compared to the highest marble score steak on the planet, but just in fish form, so in case you didn’t put it together, it’s the fattiest piece of tuna available. Yes it almost instantly dissolved in the mouth and yes it was ridiculously creamy, rich and decadent. It probably also costs a bomb as well, but hear me out on this one. I did not rate this higher than the Chu-Toro- I think it depends on the consumer as I found it far too fatty for my liking. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate wagyu/kobe steaks cooked medium rare- to rare, but this Otoro, despite tasting fantastic and opening up my palate to something completely new, it didn’t blow my mind like the Chu-Toro did.
But hey, you might think it is the best thing since fried chicken. Don’t less this one piece of nigiri detract you from trying Jiro’s Omakase.
Kohada (こは だ) Gizzard Shad
Don’t be put off by the fact that it’s still got its skin on, as it is marinated in vinegar, its original strong, oily flavour is stripped. Quite a delicacy!
Awabi (あわび) Abalone?
Aji (あわび) Horse Mackerel
This is an exquisitely tasty fish. Bold in flavour, ridiculously fresh to the palate but still quite soft in texture- there is no essence of fishiness. That’s a big thing to say after all the hype surrounding the medium fatty tuna! The Aji has been adored by many Sukiyabashi Jiro diners- making it one of the most popular nigiri to be chosen for a second portion.
Ikura ( いくら) Salmon Roe
Pop, yum. Pop, yum. Pop, oh man, yum! When I usually eat salmon roe, I end get sick because of the overpowering fishy taste towards the end. It gets to the point where I physically feel like throwing up, but alas. It did not happen this time round. This fact alone is enough to let you know what kind of quality you’re dealing with here.
Kuruma-Ebi (くるまえび) Japanese Tiger Prawn
It may appear to be a humbly cooked prawn, but it’s prepared so well that you won’t encounter that tough, chewy flaky flesh typically found at your everyday bbq or buffet. Instead you’re faced with a vibrantly shiny and stripy piece of prawn, just on the verge of well done. It’s a tiger prawn so expect to feast out on the generous portion size and innards. Simple done well- delicious!
Uni (うに) Sea Urchin
Whilst Takashi and the sous chef prepared the Uni for plating, they also showed us this little crate of Sea Urchin goodness which they handpicked from the Tsukiji market that morning:
As for the nigiri? Butter. Absolute, buttery goodness. Rich, creamy, decadent. Another highlight! My mind was left drawn a blank. This was sensational- to the point where we felt spoilt. It was too hard to savour for long as it continued to melt away in our mouths before we had anything to say about it.
Hamaguri (はまぐり) Clam
Clams, similar to muscles can get really tough really quickly when cooked- so a lot of care and precision is taken when the clam is prepared. The Jiro way of preparing and cooking the clam is briefly exposing it to a fire, then stewing it in a broth and then finishing it off with sugar and soy sauce to balance out the flavour. Despite the natural anatomy of a clam to feature tough and rubbery sides and edges, this wasn’t too bad to chew and digest.
Kobashira (こばしら) Muscle
Silky pillows of soft flesh wrapped in freshly roasted nori (seaweed). Nothing too special, but we are advised that this type of muscle could be on the verge of extinction.
Anago (あなご) Conger Eel
I’ve tasted eel before and hated it. When I had it previously, there was a strong smokey and fishy taste, and the texture felt as if I was chewing through some microscopic/hairline-type fish bones as well. Dry, flaky and overall unpleasant, it was awful and I decided that eel just wasn’t for me. However once again, all it takes is one night at Jiro’s to change your perspective on sushi forever. To put it simple, this time round, the eel my friend and I tasted was tender, moist, and didn’t leave a bad taste in the slightest. Thanks for restoring my faith in the taste of eel, Jiro. My palate thanks you for it.
Karei (かれい) Sole Flatfish
A delicate white fish topped with soy sauce. Nothing too spectacular, but tasty nonetheless. It has also been considered one of the most popular choices to be ordered again throughout the Omakase.
Unknown? (不明)
Sorry guys, despite my best efforts to rack my brain and find out what kind of nigiri this is, unfortunately it is deemed an unknown piece in this Omakase. If anyone can help identify this nigiri, please get in touch!
Tamago (かれい) Grilled Egg
A dish that has taken countless years to perfect, this is the final stop for this sushi smörgåsbord. This confused our minds, it was essentially a grilled omelette, but its fluffy-like consistency and noticeable sweetness made our brains believe that we were eating a baked dessert.
We continued to chow down on the Tamago, reveling in this dessert which wasn’t quite a dessert. Until they told us, “Oh and by the way, that Tamago contains ZERO flour.”
WHAT?!!
Turns out this innocent piece of egg dessert is quite the troll. Hidden in this final dish are a mix of Japanese Yam AND shrimp. WHOAH! Definitely another highlight. Achievement unlocked: ‘Incognito dessert’.
Rating: 5/5 I don’t care what anyone else says, my friend and I were blown away. It may have only been 30 minutes dining time, but it felt like a tasting adventure since each dish was so different from the previous. I’m a big believer in ‘everything once’ and there were a lot of nigiri in this Omakase that I had never tried in my entire life. I was extremely grateful that my first time trying them was here at Sukiyabashi Jiro’s because I know I was able to taste the produce at their richest and finest. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I THOROUGHLY recommend that if you ever visit Japan, you NEED to include this in your itinerary. Takashi and his staff were extremely professional, but at the same time fairly casual, so there was never this air of having to feel constricted or uptight whilst enjoying the sushi.
If you go fine dining once or twice a year, why not skip out on both times so that you can justify coming here? ;P
BONUS POINTS: After our dinner, chef Takashi announced that we had finished the entire session (which I think kind of delighted him since my friend and I were both girls). He asked if we wanted to take a couple of photos with him (which of course we agreed to unquestionably) and afterwards he walked us outside. At the time, there was a Star Wars exhibition going in the Mori Tower and out of nowhere Takashi presented us with 2 free tickets for this exhibition as well as free entry to the Mori Tower Roof Deck! We bowed and thanked him profusely, chucking “Domo-Arigatou’s” left, right and centre. What a way to finish an exquisite night!!
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